About the College

Mission
The mission of City College at Montana State University Billings is to be the College of first choice, dedicated to the development of workforce capacity by providing top quality learning opportunities and services to meet a variety of career choices and customer needs by being responsive, flexible and market-driven.

Purpose
City College at MSU Billings provides the comprehensive two-year college mission including: university transfer education, career preparation, developmental education, GED preparation through a partnership with School District No. 2, and workforce training.

History
In 1969, the Montana State Legislature created the Billings Vocational-Technical Education Center (BVTC) to serve the postsecondary technical training needs of adults. In 1987, by order of the Legislature, governance passed from the Billings School District to the Montana University System Board of Regents, making the BVTC one of five campuses of the Montana University System for postsecondary vocational-technical education. In 1994, the BVTC officially merged with Eastern Montana College to become the fifth college of Montana State University Billings. The merger and subsequent sharing of resources brought about new and improved student services, such as cooperative education, health services, career services, fee payment options, and credit transferability. Since 2002, the University has been evolving the College to assume the comprehensive role and scope of a community college.

Nature of the InstitutionThe training programs offered at City College at MSU Billings are continually upgraded to meet the changing dynamics of business and industry. Presently, 18 Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree programs, two Associate of Arts (AA) programs, 5 Associate of Science (AS) programs, one ASN (RN) program, and 11 certificate of applied science programs are offered. Enrollment annually exceeds 1,400 full-time and part-time students. Professional training and continuing education classes are provided to more than 2,000 individuals from many different industries. Students enrolled in AS, ASN, and AA programs have articulated options with other Colleges within MSU Billings and across the State to continue their education toward a baccalaureate degree or beyond. Students enrolled in AAS degrees may pursue their baccalaureate through either a Bachelor of Applied Science degree or a Bachelor of Liberal Studies degree option.

Areas of Emphasis
City College at MSU Billings provides individuals with training (or re-training) to obtain excellent "in demand" positions available at many area employers. Graduates of City College at MSU Billings become licensed practical nurses, registered nurses, surgical technicians, paramedics, firefighters, automobile technicians, diesel technicians, power plant operators, process plant operators, computer system technicians, computer desktop support specialists, computer programmers, and computer-assisted drafting and design technicians. These examples are just a few of the career possibilities awaiting students earning a Certificate, Associate of Applied Science degree, Associate of Science degree or Associate of Arts degree from City College at MSU Billings. We will give you the tools to make your career dreams come true.

Areas of Continuing Development
Responsiveness and service to the community are central to City College at MSU Billings’ mission. As City College at MSU Billings redefines itself into a community college, we will be a major learning center for the entire community, with or without restrictions that surround formal course work in traditional institutions of higher education. City College at MSU Billings gears its programs and services to the needs and wishes of the people it serves.

Specialized Training
Through City College at MSU Billings’ Outreach and Community Development Center of Excellence, a variety of special programs have been developed to meet specific training needs of business, industry, and other organizations through contract training, continuing education courses, workshops, and seminars. Specialized programs can be developed at the request of individuals and employers and are conducted on the job site or on campus. The College is now a partner with Red Rocks Community College in Denver, Colorado as the US Department of Labor OSHA training provider for all of Montana.

Advisory Boards
To achieve our vision of responsiveness, we created 15 program advisory boards for all of our programs which include representation from nearly 300 local and regional industry representatives. These boards are made up of managers, business owners, technicians, supervisors of technicians, technical trainers, equipment vendors, and others concerned with the success of the respective programs they are advising. These committees help us respond to the changing needs of the workforce, maintain industry standards, and will provide students with opportunities for internships in business and industry. They help to ensure that are curriculum is meeting industry standards. We also created a 25-member National Program Advisory Board which is integral to the long-range development of City College at MSU Billings. To achieve our vision of being market-driven, we continually upgrade existing programs and add new courses and programs to meet the needs of employers throughout the greater Billings region. We offer you an education targeted toward career preparation and access to networks for rapid employment.

Faculty
City College at MSU Billings is proud of its outstanding faculty and of their expertise in the specific areas in which they teach. Faculty are highly qualified with expertise in their specialty and current work experience in their field.

Academic Advisors
Faculty serve as academic advisors to the students in their programs. Advisors follow the progress of students based on their particular academic area of study and monitor the courses and credits as needed to complete a program of study.